What temp to be safe and eat cold???

[MallardWacker]

OK you curing folks.  I love my bacon! Have done plenty with GREAT results.  I cure (BuckBoard Method) my meat and I smoke it to an internal temp to 140-145deg. When I am done with it and I want eat some I always cook (fry or grill) it again.  What internal temp can I smoke it to be safe so I can eat it like a cured ham from the store, cold from the fridge if I wanted to.  Is smoking to a internal temp of 140 enough?  My bacon looks and smells so good, I'd like to make ham sandwiches out of them.(hay, I know its braggin)

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[Bassman]

MW,
IMO, The BBB has enough cure on it that 140F is safe. When I smoke sausage the recommended internal temp is 152F, but I don't cure it for 10 days, I just use Prague powder in the recipe.

<i><font color="blue"><b>Jack</i></font id="blue"></b>

[ChefJeff]

DuckMan  IMO,You are truly tempting the smoke god.Before you get in any more trouble can I interest you in a little insurance policy,Maybe we can all chip in a Bubba Puck @?[}:)][}:)][:D]

SMOKIN & SPOKEN

[whitetailfan]

Hey Mallard,
When I was doing research on my smoked pork chops (see that thread) I was told by the local meat market that they smoke their chops to 150 which is what is required by law here in Canada.  At that temp, you have a safe product, so if you wanted, you could eat it cold right out of the package, just like ham.  I personally like it warm, but if you wanted to slice some buckboard thin on a cold sandwich, you would be safe.
Then again, I've had a few cold ones tonight, so search around for that thread first because I'm pretty sure I was sober when I wrote that one[;)]

<b><font color="green">whitetailfan</font id="green"></b>
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

[BrentK]

MW

I looked up internal temps in "the book".  It also says that an internal temp of 152F is good enough for any meat.  So there just another  bit of information for you.  

Sliced real thin on top of a burger on a tosted bun....topped with some swiss....man that sounds good.[:)]  How about a bit of bacon on a cracker with some horseradish.[:)][:)]

BrentK
Grand Forks, ND

[MallardWacker]

Yow-zaa guys,

Thanks for all the feed back.  I thought it would be safe at 140 but  not for shure.  I have left my bacon in till 149 and I couldn't tell the difference.  You are right, I like it warm also, the thick slice on the grill is my favorite.  Sorry to talk about Duck Hunting again, I just can't wait to put a bag of bacon in the ol' blind bag and pass it around.  It could help help me get a couple in invites to some "of them there swanky duck clubs".  Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Jeff, I know I'm still working out this pentance thing.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...